“All’onda” can mean two different things to an Italian. To a surfer child of the Riviera, it evokes the swell of the sea. (Onda means “wave.”) To a northerner, all’onda speaks to the ideal texture of risotto—the individual rice grains should be al dente, yet bound together by a starchy, flavorful magma so creamy that a quick flick of the pot will stir up a few “waves.”

The number of people familiar with the terminologies and technicalities of risotto is destined to rise like the ocean’s tide as its popularity expands outside Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto, in Italy’s north. Thanks to new rice producers who are growing some incredible varieties and chefs who are finally thinking beyond classic risotto preparations, the dish is experiencing a true renaissance throughout Italy.